Seeing Jiang Yuan's suggestive gaze, Shuishui calmly answered, "Uncle Jiang, that's what you think of me? Dating isn't that important to me. Uncle Jiang, I know that you asked me to go with you to the office not only to learn, but also to keep me from spending time with Mu Ziyu. I have an independent mind. How could I not have considered your feelings about the matter? Don't worry too much about it, Uncle."
Jiang Yuan understood that she was still trying to expose him. Shuishui felt that Uncle Jiang was too nosy sometimes. She didn't say anything because she respected him as her elder. However, she thought about the matter for a while and decided that she had to say something so that Uncle Jiang would stop pestering Mu Ziyu. After all, they were only dating. She was still young and wasn't even thinking too much about the future. She simply felt that Uncle Jiang's intervention would complicate things. She didn't think it was necessary.
Jiang Yuan was stunned, but he quickly recovered. "What you mean is that you don't care. But you have to know that you can't judge a book by its cover," he said.
"I know that you can't judge a book by its cover. Even when we think we already know a person, we still can't know for sure what kind of person he is. We simply have to let Fate decide. Uncle, actually, you don't have to worry about me so much. I know what I did and why I did it." Shuishui assured Uncle Jiang that she knew what she was doing.
In truth, he was worried that Shuishui would make the same mistake Qian An did, which was why he wanted Shuishui to understand why he felt that way. He then felt that he was probably being too selfish. An ***** was not as thorough as a child.
He placed his hand on Shuishui's shoulder and said, "All right, I won't interfere. There's sugar water to drink in the canteen. The family is quite distant now. Xiao Li has been going out these past few days. His heart is wild. As his elder sister, you should discipline him well. Occasionally, you should stay at home and study quietly."
"Everyone likes to play. I think Xiao Li knows his limits. Moreover, I've heard from Auntie that Xiao Li has good grades. He should be able to bounce back next semester. There shouldn't be much of a problem," Shuishui said, echoing what Auntie Jiang told her before. She was quite confident about Jiang Li's grades. Aside from what others told her about him, Shuishui realized that she didn't really know much about Jiang Li.
Jiang Yuan, however, was still worried. He wouldn't easily be appeased. "See, he has become a bit wild these days. I'm afraid he won't be able to redeem himself when classes start."
When they arrived at the canteen, Shuishui went to get her favorite food. She sat down with Jiang Yuan and said, "Uncle Jiang, most offices have small canteens. Is it better to serve big pot rice or small stir-fry dishes?"
She remembered that there was also a small canteen at her father's office building. It was even smaller than the one in Uncle Jiang's building, but it was always jam-packed with people.
"I think serving big pot rice is better. Small stir-fry dishes are too time-consuming. Of course, the food must also be of good quality. However, there are many employees who would rather eat outside. Let's try something new. The cafeteria only serves eight main dishes, and they only serve new dishes during the holidays," Uncle Jiang said. He himself rarely ate at the cafeteria.
Shuishui started to eat the ribs. "Hmm. We can eat more next time. The sweet and sour ribs in this cafeteria are quite delicious."
"If it's delicious, then eat more," Jiang Yuan said as he watched Shuishui eat. As he watched her, he thought of many things. Shuishui was only a first-year high school student, but he could start cultivating her business knowledge as soon as she moves to the capital to attend university.
The employees who came in to eat greeted her. They saw how Director Jiang doted on his niece.
Shuishui ate quietly and simply acknowledged those who greeted her.
After eating and drinking to her heart's content, she burped. She was full. She was grateful for the meal and felt warm and comfortable.
When they returned to the office, Secretary Huang was not yet back. Shuishui took a nap inside Uncle Jiang's office. Jiang Yuan also leaned against the chair and took a short nap.
Shuishui had a very uncomfortable dream. When she woke up, images of the dream reappeared in her mind. She dreamed of the previous Shuishui's biological mother baring her fangs and brandishing her claws. There was endless greed in her eyes. She wanted to acknowledge her daughter.
She patted her cheeks to regain consciousness of reality. What was the point of thinking so much? That woman had abandoned the previous Shuishui. The previous Shuishui had already died, but she had met her biological mother for the first time. To be honest, she did not feel anything at all. She was surprised how she easily accepted Qian An into her heart. His love for her reminded her of how her parents had loved her in her previous life. She was even quite affected by how the previous Shuishui had been quite distant and cold towards her own father.
She reached into her pocket, took out a chocolate bar, and placed it on the table. Then, she ran to the bathroom to gargle. She returned to the sofa and chewed on the chocolate bar.
Shuishui didn't really care what other people thought of her.
Jiang Yuan held his forehead. "Shuishui, Secretary Huang will be back in a while. Get ready."
"Okay." She continued to eat.
More than ten minutes later, Secretary Huang returned. She was obviously in a hurry. "Director Jiang, I've asked around. It's true that the subway is going to be built in that area, but the owner of the shop said they want to sell the whole building. The second floor is only about 50 square meters. The layout doesn't look that good either. The price has gone up to 6.8 million, almost double the original price."
She handed the map to Director Jiang. "This is the layout of the second and first floors."
Shuishui also went forward to take a look. The layout of the second floor was indeed not very good. The two floors seemed to have been temporarily vacated, and it has been advertised as available for long-term lease. "It's now 6.8 million? That's a lot higher," Shuishui said.
"Yeah, they raised the price when they heard that the subway is going to be built near there. Of course, it's still very affordable compared to others in that area, but many buyers were no longer interested when they saw the layout," Secretary Huang said.
Shuishui rubbed her chin. "We should be able to negotiate and ask for it to be lowered to 6.5 million. The owner had always wanted to have it leased. Even though a subway is going to be built there, he will find it difficult to find someone interested in it because of the bad layout. We would have to spend money to rebuild and renovate it to widen the space. It will cost us a lot of money."
"If we buy it, what do you want to do with the second floor?" Jiang Yuan asked.
Shuishui pondered on it for a while. She could actually use the area as a dormitory or living quarters for the restaurant staff. That would strengthen the staff's commitment and dedication to the business. The space was not very big, and a barbecue shop didn't really require much cooking area. The problem was that the area was not well ventilated. "Uncle, I think the second floor can be used as an employee dormitory. We can make quarters for the men and women. We can turn the whole floor into a dormitory with several rooms so that it would be convenient for them."
Shuishui added, "It might be easier to hire employees if they are assured of food and accommodation."
"Yes, it's possible. In a place like Beijing, transportation is inconvenient for many workers. Ordinary workers can't afford to rent apartments. Many would choose cheap rooms with many roommates just to save money." Jiang Yuan felt that Shuishui's idea was actually quite brilliant and strategic.
Shuishui pointed to one side of the layout. "We can put up a bathroom here in this corner. If we come up with a good layout and maximize the given space, even four people can live comfortably in one dormitory room. We can also put another exit here on the second floor, so the employees will not need to go through the first floor."
Shuishui thought of putting another exit so the employees wouldn't find it inconvenient to have to exit through the ground floor every single time.
Only then did Jiang Yuan realize that it was a good reason to put up another exit. "Now that I think about it, I think that would be really convenient. As for how to go about it, I'll have to personally go and take a look. Secretary Huang, call the owner and ask him out. I want to have a face-to-face talk with him, and at the same time, visit the actual site."
"Okay." Secretary Huang then went out to make a call.
Shuishui continued to study the layout. Although she was not an architect, she was knowledgeable and had a good eye for design.
"Aren't you going to call your boyfriend?" Jiang Yuan reminded Shuishui.
Shuishui finally remembered and smiled awkwardly. She texted Mu Ziyu and sent him the location.
After setting an appointment with the building owner, they went to take a look. Mu Ziyu had arrived earlier and had already gone in to look. He was stunned by the layout. He thought it was too bad. No wonder the owner hadn't been able to secure a buyer. However, Shuishui liked the place and Jiang Yuan actually supported her plan to purchase it. Perhaps the location would do well for a barbecue shop.
"Ziyu, what do you think?" Shuishui asked. She didn't know what he was thinking.
"It would be suitable for a barbecue shop." Ziyu wasn't sure either. After all, he had never seen such a strange barbecue shop.
Shuishui patted Mu Ziyu's arm. "Forget it. After all, I haven't told you yet what I'm planning. It's normal that you don't understand. Let's go back in. We haven't looked yet."
The owner walked towards them. He was a middle-aged man with a big belly. He said, "Mr. Jiang, I've opened it now. We can go in and take a look. We'll talk when you're done surveying the area."
Shuishui walked in by herself. Jiang Yuan looked in another area. She then went up to the second floor and casually glanced around before walking towards another exit.
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at a nearby coffee shop.
Jiang Yuan was very direct. "The layout is not very conductive to a business setting. We would need to install a storefront for it to be noticeable. We offer 6.5 million. You know very well why you have been unable to secure a tenant for such a long time. I won't say any more. We are interested, and that is out offer. What do you think? If you agree, we can go to the real estate agent and settle the matter directly."
"I don't want it to be paid in installments," the owner said bluntly. He needed money, and he wanted to get the whole amount.
"I won't pay in installments. I'll pay it all in one go." Jiang Yuan smiled faintly. Judging from his expression, he felt that the owner had agreed to it. Jiang Yuan knew that if they would be able to renovate the ground and second floors, its overall lease price for future buyers would also increase.
The owner was a little hesitant, but he gritted his teeth and nodded. "Okay. Let's process everything."
They went to the real estate agent. Shuishui offered 2 million, and Jiang Yuan would pay the rest. Mu Ziyu wanted to join and shell out some money, but Jiang Yuan didn't let him. He had thought about the matter a lot. If Shuishui and Mu Ziyu broke up, what would he do? It was better to not let Ziyu get involved. "Ziyu, here. It's all right. You don't have to. After all, I still have a bit of money," Uncle Jiang said.
Mu Ziyu met Jiang Yuan's gaze and didn't force it.
The shop was finally officially owned by Shuishui and Jiang Yuan. Fortunately, Shuishui was already sixteen years old, or else she wouldn't have been allowed to purchase her own property. Of course, only those eighteen years old and above were allowed that privilege, but those sixteen years old and below could be allowed to acquire property with the help of their guardians.
Shuishui was very happy. "Now we can look for someone to work on the renovation."
"Yes, I'll find someone to come up with a design for you. You tell him your idea, and he'll design it according to what you want." Jiang Yuan felt that Shuishui was very clear-headed. When it came to such things, she definitely had her own ideas.
Shuishui was naturally happy. "Okay. I do have an idea. I have thought of a way of maximizing the space. After all, the designer doesn't know our main purpose."
"Tomorrow, I'll ask the secretary to set an appointment with the designer so you can meet him in the afternoon." Jiang Yuan knew that Shuishui was someone who would do whatever she wanted. On the outside, she seemed very quiet and gentle, but in fact, she was a young girl who had many vivid ideas.
Uncle Jiang was also a man of action. It was good. Mu Ziyu looked at Shuishui's smile. It was clear that she was really in a good mood. "You really decided to open a barbecue restaurant since you love eating so much. I'm sure Zilin will come here often to show his support," Ziyu said.
Shuishui laughed and said, "That's good. Free publicity." Shuishui did not really care about advertising because it was too expensive. She felt that there was no need for that.
When Jiang Yuan heard Shuishui, he said, "I will cover the advertising costs and handle the publicity. Don't worry about it. You just need to tell me what you want!"
Mu Ziyu was very surprised that Jiang Yuan was very supportive of Shuishui. Was he just an ordinary guardian? He also had doubts about why Qian An wanted to transfer Shuishui's household registration. It was not appropriate to ask Shuishui about such things. Ziyu could only keep them to himself.
Ziyu also tried to learn more about Jiang Yuan's friendship with Qian An, but he was unable to find anything about it. Basically, it seemed that they did not even know each other. Jiang Yuan felt that Mu Ziyu wanted to spend time with Shuishui, so he took the initiative and said, "I'll give you a break this afternoon. You can go wherever you like."
"Really?" Shuishui asked Jiang Yuan in disbelief.
Jiang Yuan patted Shuishui's head. "You child, you don't believe me?"
"I do. Thank you, Uncle. Then I'll go with him," Shuishui said as she grabbed Mu Ziyu's arm and quickly left, lest Jiang Yuan went back on his word.
Before they left, Mu Ziyu turned to Jiang Yuan and said, "Uncle Jiang, we'll go ahead. I'll send Shuishui home safely tonight."
"Okay, okay. I know you young people like to go out and have fun. Go." He waved his hand casually as if to dismiss them.
Mu Ziyu held Shuishui and walked to her side. "It's rare for you to be free on a weekday. I see that Uncle Jiang doesn't reject me as much as before," Ziyu said.
"Of course. He's an ***** after all. He was only worried about me before. I've already made it clear to him that he shouldn't make things difficult for you anymore. Uncle Jiang is just too nosy sometimes. I'll spend the afternoon with you, all right?" She hugged Mu Ziyu's arm. She beamed with joy.
Mu Ziyu lowered his head and touched Shuishui's forehead with his forehead. "All right."
Shuishui lowered her head and smiled. "Where are we going?"
"To wherever you want to go." As they got into the car, Shuishui began to think about where she wanted to go. Actually, she did not really have any idea where to go.
"Anywhere is fine," she answered mindlessly.
"Soak in a hot spring?" Ziyu asked her. He did not know if Shuishui would like it.
Shuishui blinked in disbelief. "There's a hot spring here?"
"It's not here in the capital. It's somewhere else. We can drive there for about four hours. But you should like that hot spring hotel," Ziyu said. If Shuishui wanted to go, she would say so.
"Will we be spending the night there?" Shuishui asked.
"Yes, and we can drive back before the day ends. We can take a dip in the hot spring early the next morning." Shuishui wanted to go. Her friends had told her about that place. They said that it was a very nice place for couples to visit because there was a firefly cave halfway up the mountain. It was a very romantic place.